The hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) mentioned the importance of our contacts in dealing with such matters—not just international bodies, but our bilateral relationships. Let me give him a specific example. In September, I visited Mexico and while I was there, I discussed the major human rights issues that it faces with a range of contacts, specifically civil society and Mexican non-governmental organisations. We discussed the need to modernise the judicial system in order to end impunity and to tackle corruption. I heard also about the excellent work on justice reform that we have been able to carry out with the Mexican authorities through the Foreign Office's global opportunities fund. Such support is being given to a range of countries around the world.

Guatemala's election is taking place against the background of a corroded state, riven society, disconnected elite and paralysed people.

This excellent article, by Ivan Briscoe in openDemocracy through NACLA News, talks about a crisis in Guatemala in the lead up to the 2nd round of the elections.

He talks of the mystery of 'a democracy with 51% poverty, wracked by the worst inequality in the continent, afflicted by crime and judicial decay, [that] feels compelled to cure its wounds by scratching them harder and harder'.

In setting the scene, he explains that 'Guatemala has death-squads, polo matches, mega-churches and four television channels, all belonging to one foreigner. Only Russia has a higher murder-rate for women, only China exports more children for adoption to the United States'.

From the civil war through to narco-trafficking by way of the oligarchs, he suggests that 'as the world forgets central America, a tragedy is forming, born out of cold-war beachheads and powdering northern noses'.